Ruling on sins committed before reaching puberty

30-8-2023 | IslamWeb

Question:

SalamI have done something very haram to my brothers when I was 12 or 13 years old. I touched their private part. One of them has autism and was awake, and the other does not have autism and was sleeping. I did not know it was haram back then. I also can't tell him what I did because he will probably hate me forever..what should I do?..I'm scared that the only option is to admit what I did...will Allah still forgive me if I don't aplogize..and what if it's impossible to apologize(My brother with autism will not understand me if I tell him)?..Will my future marriage be halal?..I cry almost everyday and beg Allah for forgiveness..I'm always scared..plz help...

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

If you did that before reaching puberty, then you bear no sin because you were not accountable, and if it happened after puberty - while you were ignorant of its prohibition - then we hope that you bear no sin for it. And according to the estimation of your sin by that, it is sufficient for you to repent between you and Allah, and Allah is forgiving and Merciful. And there is nothing to worry about or the need to ask forgiveness from your brothers.

Instead, they should not be informed of that, nor should anyone else be informed of it, so conceal yourself with Allah’s concealment over you and do not expose yourself. And forget what has happened and do good in what is to come. And there is no effect on what happened to the validity of the marriage.

We ask Allah Almighty to make marriage easy for you and to bless you with guidance, piety, chastity, and wealth.

Allah knows best.